Charlie takes it to the sleep bank

Charlie Nicholas reveals just how Arsene Wenger gets the best from his players – an early night is certainly worth their while:“There’s a curfew of 75 grand a week.”

SPEAKING WENG
When he’s not busy refining the art of high dudgeon, much of Arsene Wenger’s time is spent making additions to a language that doesn’t always suit his purposes. Over the years, match officials have taken regular trips to “farciland” while he’s usually keen to remind us his team dominated “footballistically.” Now Arsene has dug deep again to explain just why his boys have forgotten how to take it into the corner late doors:“We are playerish.”

FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME
It’s always about us, isn’t it? A new messiah bestrides the free world and we have to scour Offaly for his local. No wonder then, that Con Murphy saw fit to kick off a Champions League commentary with the remarkable words:“Marseilles wearing the Dublin colours…”

MISSING IN ACTION“I did the game. Some of them weren’t up for the battle last week – Bendtner, Nasri, Denilson – they weren’t there.”Phil Thompson is certainly right on one count – Nasri wasn’t there.